Tis the Last Rose of Summer
by Amashelle
Summary: A non-slash look at the society's reactions to Neil's death. Clishe, yes, but I wanted to write about it. Set just after the winter break. Incomplete.
1. Default Chapter

I don't own The Dead Poets Society, and I freely give the extraordinary amount of credit that is deserved to those that do. Also, 'Tis the Last Rose of Summer' was written by Tomas Moore. This fic, however, is mine.

**_'Tis the last rose of summer,  
Left blooming all alone,  
All her lovely companions   
Are faded and gone._**

**Charles Dalton looked around at the familiar sight of Welton's vast fields of snow. It was melting now, from the spring's coming heat, but he didn't find it any less lovely than the bright green of spring; if there was one thing he'd learned it was to appreciate the poetry of every form the world could take. It had been a hard-earned lesson, with a price none of them should have had to pay.**

**Over the winter break, he'd made several decisions about his life. He wanted to show the world what Professor Keeting had showed to him- how to live life to the fullest, the meaning of Carpe Diem. But he wasn't going to go to college. He wasn't going to give them the chance to pound this out of his head.**

**Whistling a tune, he walked towards the school. It was only when he reached the doors that he recognized it as the piece the Captain his captain, had always sung. What they had done to him was unforgivable, but not all of those who now sat inside the great hall were to blame.**

**Dimly, he wondered if the simple tune had any lyrics. He ought to find out one of these days, and if it didn't well, he'd just have to write some, wouldn't he? It would be his first real poem.**

**In the corner of his vision, he could have sworn that, for an instant, Neil had been standing there, smiling that amused, unsure yet cocky smile of his. Charlie often saw Neil when he thought of poetry. After all, it had been Neil who had resurrected the Dead Poets Society, it had been Neil who had truly taken the Captain's words to heart and insisted that the rest of them do the same.**

**It had, of course, been his imagination, but sometimes, he wasn't so sure that it was. Sometimes, he could almost hear his friend eagerly chiding him on, or offering encouragement, or just laughing. It scared him, those moments. It would scare anyone.**

**Knox Overstreet was the first out of the building; he'd been standing there longer than he had thought and the welcome ceremonies seemed to have ended.**

**'Hey!' Knox called, sounding oddly cheerful, as though he was trying too hard. 'What'cha doing here, Newanda?'**

**Charlie shrugged. 'Not much, just came by to see how you were all doing, say my good-byes.'**


	2. Two

**_No Flower of her kindred,_**

**_No rosebud is nigh_**

**_To reflect back her blushes,_**

**_Or give sigh for sigh_**

**Knox's smile faded. 'Say your goodbyes?' His mind had, of course, jumped to the worst possible meaning behind the phrase. Had Neil's death really hit Charlie that hard?  
  
'Nuwanda' stared at him for a moment, and then realized what was going through his friend's head. 'No, not that. Never, I wouldn't dream --'  
  
'Hey there, Nuwanda, what're you doing here?' Both boys turned relieved eyes to see Steven Meeks heading over to them. He and Charlie clasped hands and patted each other on the back in greeting. Knox watched them with a smile on his face, feeling as though, for the first time since Neil's suicide, that they were all together, as friends, as though it was all the way it used to be. And, even as he took joy in this, a part of him felt guilty for being so ready to get on with his life. Despite the long hours he'd lain awake at night, the many days he'd spent talking to Chris about it all, he still felt he'd gotten off easy.  
  
'Just came to check up on you all, make sure you're staying out of trouble.'  
  
'Ha! This, from the guy with the 'phone call from god'?'  
  
'Hey, Pitts, Todd, good to see you!'  
  
'Right back at you.' Todd said, with a small smile. Knox grinned. Yes, it was good to have everyone together again. Everyone except Neil...  
  
'So, what have you been doing with your life, Charlie?' Pitts asked.  
  
Charlie sighed. 'Haven't you guys learned by now? It's Nuwanda.'  
  
'Sorry, Nuwanda.'  
  
'I've been busy, actually. I'm going to teach, pass on the Captain's message.' There were nods of approval all around. It was a good way to remember what had happened. Definitely better than mopping around, repeating the same, endless stories to one's girlfriend.  
  
Chris had been so understanding. Knox couldn't begin to guess how she was able to put up with him, and he was sure that she complained about it to her friends, but he didn't care. It didn't matter what she said about him behind his back, because even if she'd grown to hate him, he couldn't deal with having to live without her. Not now.  
  
'You know, we have some time before we need to be anywhere...' Knox hinted.  
  
'I could do with another visit to that place.' Nuwanda agreed.**


End file.
